J Street works to promote an open, honest and rigorous conversation about Israel. The opinions reflected in articles posted in the News Roundup do not necessarily reflect J Street’s positions, and their posting does not constitute an endorsement from J Street.

Live from Chicago and against the backdrop of the Democratic National Convention, join J Street and the Forward for a conversation diving deep into the challenges facing Democrats amid the Israel-Hamas war. J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami will moderate the discussion featuring pollster Jim Gerstein, the Forward’s editor-in-chief Jodi Rudoren and a Member of Congress to be announced soon. Register here to join us on Tuesday, August 20 at 9am Pacific / 11am Central / 12pm Eastern >>

We’re the Mainstream Majority, J Street
J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami writes, “As the politics of Israel grows increasingly toxic at the extremes, it’s now undeniable that J Street’s views and values are at the heart of both the Jewish community and the Democratic Party. Between the banging drums of the far-left fringe and the enraged bluster of the ‘Israel can do no wrong’ guard on the right, there is a massive majority in the middle who remain guided by their values, judgment and common sense.”

Kibbutz Manara – The Abandoned Lighthouse, The Times of Israel
J Street Israel Executive Director Nadav Tamir writes, “The fate of Kibbutz Manara, like of the other evacuated communities, is the ‘collateral damage’ resulting from the Israeli policy for the war in the Gaza Strip. The damage of a war that was justified when it started but which the Netanyahu government refuses to end, the damage of a deal for the release of the hostages that Prime Minister Netanyahu has been stalling for months because he fears that by agreeing, he will seal the dissolution of his government.”

White House: US Intelligence Indicates Iran Could Attack Israel Within Days, Axios
The new intelligence suggests an attack could come before the Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal talks planned for Thursday, which could put the indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas at risk. Israeli and U.S. officials tell Axios Iran has taken significant preparatory steps in its missile and drone units, similar to those it had taken before the attack on Israel in April. They stressed, however, that Israel and the U.S. don’t know the exact timing of the attack.

Gallant: ‘Absolute Victory’ Slogan ‘Gibberish’; Netanyahu Slams His ‘Anti-Israel Narrative’, The Times of Israel
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday reportedly called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s promises of “absolute victory” in the ongoing war “gibberish” and questioned the premier’s courage to make tough decisions to achieve that aim. Gallant’s comments were leaked to Hebrew media from a closed-door briefing of members of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

Israel Was Less Flexible in Recent Gaza Cease-Fire Talks, Documents Show, The New York Times
Ronen Bergman, Patrick Kingsley and Adam Rasgon report, “While Hamas has also proved intransigent, Mr. Netanyahu’s Israeli critics partly blame the prime minister for the deadlock because his new conditions risk derailing the talks at a time when a deal appears within reach. Some have argued that he prioritizes the stability of his coalition government above the freedom of the hostages: His small majority in Parliament depends on several far-right lawmakers who have conditioned their support for his government in the prevention of a cease-fire.

Hamas Armed Wing Says One Israeli Hostage Killed, Two Women Captives ‘Seriously Wounded’, Reuters
One Israeli male hostage was killed by his guard and two women captives were seriously wounded in two separate incidents in Gaza, the spokesperson for Hamas’ armed al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Ubaida, said on Monday.

US Expects Hostage Talks to Resume but Says Iranian Attack on Israel May Impact Them, The Times of Israel
The US expects Gaza peace talks to move forward as planned, the State Department said on Monday, adding it believes a ceasefire deal remains possible even after Hamas cast doubt on whether it would participate in a Thursday meeting called by mediators.

Kamala Harris’ Campaign Taps Jerusalem-Born Ilan Goldenberg as Liaison to US Jewish Community, Haaretz
According to a campaign aide, Goldenberg will be the campaign’s “main liaison with Jewish community leaders and stakeholders and advise the campaign on issues related to the U.S.-Israel relationship, the war in Gaza and the broader Middle East.”

Leaders of France, Germany and Britain Endorse Calls for Ceasefire in Gaza, NPR
In a joint statement released Monday, they endorsed the latest push by the United States, Qatar and Egypt to broker an agreement to end the 10-month-old Israel-Hamas war. “The fighting must end now, and all hostages still detained by Hamas must be released. The people of Gaza need urgent and unfettered delivery and distribution of aid,” the statement said.

Released Palestinians Describe Worsening Abuses in Israeli Prisons, AP
Frequent beatings, overcrowding, withholding of basic rations. Released Palestinians have described to The Associated Press worsening abuses in Israeli prisons crammed with thousands detained since the war in Gaza began 10 months ago.

Israeli Man Seriously Wounded, 2 Palestinians Hurt in West Bank Terror Shooting, The Times of Israel
According to the IDF, the gunman opened fire at an Israeli man near a car repair shop in Qalqilya, wounding him seriously. Another two Palestinians next to him were also hurt, according to the military, although their conditions are not known.

Hamas Says Again It Wants Implementation, Not More Talks, Reuters
The Israeli government said it would send a delegation to Thursday’s talks, but Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that ran Gaza before the war, requested a workable plan to implement a proposal it has already accepted rather than more talks.

Iran Rejects Pressure to ‘Stand Down’ from Israel Retaliation, NBC News
Iran is determined to defend its national security, foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said Tuesday as he dismissed Western urging for the Islamic Republic to avoid escalating tensions in the region.

Netanyahu or the Hostages? It’s Time for US Jews to Choose, Haaretz
Amir Tibon writes, “Every person who cares about Israel and the safe return of the hostages will have to decide if they stand with the families of the Israelis and Americans held by Hamas, or with Netanyahu and Smotrich – the failed politicians who, we should never forget, were in power when this atrocity and national humiliation took place. It’s clear that AIPAC and the other organizations which always choose Netanyahu’s side will do the same this time. But if enough community leaders speak out in favor of the deal proposed by Biden, and against the political manipulations of Smotrich and Netanyahu, maybe there is still hope for a deal, and for the release of our people.”

The Undoing of Israel, Foreign Affairs
Ilan Z. Baron and Ilai Z. Saltzman argue, “The country is on an increasingly illiberal, violent, and destructive path. Unless it changes course, the humanist ideals of its founding will disappear altogether as Israel careens into a darker future, one in which illiberal values define both state and society. Israel is on track to become increasingly authoritarian in its treatment not just of Palestinians but of its own citizens. It could fast lose many of the friends it still has and become a pariah. And isolated from the world, it could be consumed by turmoil at home as widening fissures threaten to break up the country itself.”

A Protest That’s Drowning in Its Own Tears, The Atlantic
Gal Beckerman shares, “I heard hardly any mention of the war itself (though the deal many are demanding would necessitate a cease-fire with Hamas) or of Palestinians (whose suffering, though only a few miles away, is completely absent from Israeli media). The signs and speeches (‘Enough!’) were reactive in tone and stayed within the bounds of the hostage issue and Netanyahu’s guilt, without articulating a larger argument about how a different kind of leadership might handle the threats facing the country or presenting any real alternative vision for the future.”

Disease without Borders: Massive Piles of Garbage in Gaza Also Threaten Israel, The Times of Israel
Uri Blau shares, “UNRWA estimated that by early July, approximately 330,000 tons of solid waste in Gaza — enough to fill more than 200 football fields — had been neither buried nor treated. Prof. Nadav Davidovitch, director of the Department of Health Systems Management at Ben-Gurion University told Shomrim that after 10 months of fighting, the health and sanitary situation in Gaza is dire, with dramatic and widespread ramifications — including the risk of exposure to disease, infections and other environmental hazards.”

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